Early learning centres deepen connections during Canberra's lockdown

Early childhood education providers had to get creative over the past nine weeks, coming up with new ways to connect with their children whether they were at home or still coming in for care.

Cooinda Cottage director Molly Rhodin said the Charnwood centre has had a maximum of 30 children out of the usual 80 attending because their parents were essential professionals or in vulnerable circumstances.

But the children at home didn't miss out on joining in with curriculum challenges sent home each week for preschoolers and older toddlers.

"For the younger children it's literally been email, phone, FaceTime check-in calls and conversations," Ms Rhodin said.

"Even the infants have had little videos made with the educators singing them songs and saying hello and maintaining the relationship even though it's a digital relationship."

One of the educators made videos telling Indigenous stories with picture books and puppets that were posted on the Cooinda Cottage Facebook page.

"What we originally intended to be just for our immediate families and children that has spread right up to Newcastle and out as far as Alice Springs."

A new community library outside the centre has brought the children a lot of joy as they watch passers-by pick up and read a book.

The children had endless questions for the educators about who Andrew Barr and Dr Kerryn Coleman were and what the COVID numbers were each day.

They sat and listened avidly to the daily press conferences and even wrote letters to the ministers and Chief Health Officer to thank them for their hard work.

They're a bit disappointed the daily press conference ritual has come to an end and also because it took them a long time to learn to pronounce Gladys Berejiklian and now she's gone.

"We've had with children and families conversations that we wouldn't ordinarily have and it's brought us closer. We've spoken about politics, religion, world health issues...human rights," Ms Rhodin said.

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At Wiradjuri Preschool and Childcare at the University of Canberra, educational leader Adam Duncan organised daily video sessions at morning tea time so children at home could stay in touch with the educators and other children.

"We found that it's a really great opportunity for us to engage some of the children who are here in some peer-driven learning and sharing time with their peers that they're not getting to see currently."

They would position the camera so that it feels like the children dialing in were in the room. Children would read each other stories and talk about their experiences.

Mr Duncan said the children who participated in the online program would have an easier time transitioning back to face-to-face learning from October 25.

The excitement is building at Cooindra Cottage.

"They're doing the big countdown to the 25th now until all of their friends can come back," Ms Rhodin said.

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